The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1887-07-21
lis Work Will Never Die.


Labor. Ii says:
1t may hold ont. possibly. with til.
aid OF the bargaining politicians
until the next presidential campaign
when the latter. no longer having
any practical use for it, will give il
the cold shoulder. and then III al
human probability it will descend te
oblivion and become a memory.
just like the old Know Nothing par
ty that carried the country with d
hurrah some thirty-five years ago
Surprising the prediction OF the
Bulletin should come to pass and the
order become a memory" merely.
vet it would be a memory of which
any of its members might always
feel proud Proud in the fact that
ii has done more for the American
workers than any other secular in
stitution started on this continent
since the foundation of the republic.
Aye, blot ont the order today. vet
no human power can obliterate the
good it has done. The agencies il
has called into action. the influence
it has set in motion. the principles il
has enunciated. will leave their i'm
press. and for good, on coming gem
erations.
What has it done? Go back and
note the conditions and outlook
which called it into existence. The
war was nominally settled. but the
people of the Union. divided into tive
hostile civil hordes, We're fighting il
over and over again with worse
than warlike bitterness. The work.
erswere hopelessly divided into war
ring fragments. Sectional hate, sec
tartan bigotry, partisan prejudice
class arrogance and individual sci
fishness reigned supreme. The
masses knew nothing of political
principles and voted as the party
leaders dictated. without question or
protest. The national finances were
farmed out to usurers at any figures
they asked or offered. Railroad
companies were running railroads
where and how they pleased. receiv.
ing any subsidies they demanded.
Corporations were crowding eaci,
other in partitioning the public do
main among themselves. sometimes
with the formality OF purchased
act of congress, and sometimes with
out. Wherever natural resources
were valuable, there was MONOPOLY
to claim them; whereverspecial privi-
leges We're possible, there was al
ways a combination ready to grasp
them. 1t was a harvest time for the
shrewd, the selfish and the unscru.
pulous. And the masses shouted
and processioned and voted with
uniform regularity, and imagined
they were making the laws of their
country. The workers were imporent
to resist an injury or right wrong.
The politicians cared for. feared or
respected them no more than care
the wolves for the sheep. Trade
hated trade, the mechanics looked
down with lofty contempt on labor
ers; the laborers in return envied
and hated the mechanics. Social
disunion: industrial chaos. specula-
tive frenzy and public plumber were
the order Of the day. 1t was pitiable.
The people saw their national sover-
eign properties and natural rights
confiscated toprivate profit by whole
sale and retail, but were utterly help
less to prevent. A few years more of
unchallenged rapacity and few
thousand law-made and lawless mil
ionaires would own the republic.
1t was then the Knights Of Labor
appeared on the scene and entered
upon its mission. To teach the citi-
zen his rights, duties and RESPONSE.
bilties; to call the workers up out OF
the depths. bid him think and be free:
to divest him Of ignorance, bigotry.
prejudice and seltishness, for his own
happiness as well as for the good of
humanity; it inspired the timid with
courage. gave the weak protection
and the down-trodden hope. Behind
its shield many victim of tyranny
has found succor, and at its binding
many harsh rule has been broken
and abolished. Above that, it has
taught the identity Of interest of ali
honest workers, and thousands of its
members have been self-sacrificing.
even unto starvation, in assertion
and support of that principle. Ithas
taught the workers the benefits of
agitation, the power Of organization
and the necessity Of education. A,
its advent thousands had already
stopped voting, given up hope OF
peaceful reform, looking at the bal.
lot, then bought and sold and prosti-
tuted, as a farce, and that nothing
but force could ever rescue the coun-
try from the clutch Of monopoly. II
taught the power of the ballot when
cast by intelligence and honesty. and
the criminal folly Of failing to exer-
else it in this manner. 1t taught in
dependence in the voter. and its
teachings have not been in vain.
-
The Bulletin may rest assured that
the order needs no support from the
politicians. And it will live withou,
any support from the politicians, and
in spite Of the opposition Of the poll.
ticians and the Bulletin combined,
If the Bulletin has to wait for any
enjoyment until the death ef the X.
OF l., its lot in life will be q cheerless
one. -ISouth West.
Give Them q Chance!